Many more autistic genes discovered

10th June 2010

Researchers from Oxford University who have carried out the largest ever genetic study into autism have identified many more new genes involved in the disorder.

Writing in the journal Nature, they hope now to establish whether genetic tests can help in making early diagnosis and if the discovery of new genes will help in the identification of drugs to combat symptoms. Using a new systematic analysis technique, the researchers identified faults in many more regions of DNA in the 1,000 patients involved in the study and believe they might eventually find up to 300 genes which are involved.